Failure to appear: Warrant issued for man charged in jogger assault

A $50,000 bench warrant has been issued for a Shawnee man charged in the 2013 assault of a jogger after he failed to appear in court.

Kim Morava

A $50,000 bench warrant has been issued for a Shawnee man charged in the 2013 assault of a jogger after he failed to appear in court.

Court records show Douglas Jahand Brooks Jr., 25, was scheduled for preliminary hearing earlier this week in Pottawatomie County District Court but failed to appear.

Brooks, who had been jailed from July 2013 until just a couple weeks ago when he was released July 23 after posting of bond, is now being sought on the arrest warrant.

He is charged with felonies of sexual battery and kidnapping, as well as a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery in connection with that incident last summer. His case was put on hold for a time as Brooks underwent evaluation for competency, but the case resumed last month with Brooks being found competent for the case to proceed, with the preliminary hearing scheduled.

Brooks was identified as the suspect in the attack that occurred about 3 p.m. July 23, 2013, as the woman jogged around Fairview Cemetery in the 1400 block of North Center.

The woman told the News-Star she was jogging when she noticed a man standing in the cemetery. She wasn’t concerned, at first, and kept running. But after she went a second mile around, he was still standing there.

She ran past him, but after about 100 yards, she said she heard footsteps behind her.

At first she thought he needed directions, but the woman said the suspect then told her she was pretty and tried to give her a necklace, she reported.

When the suspect allegedly said he had seen her there several times, she became worried and was able to break free, but he allegedly grabbed her arms again and then tried to get on top of her, she reported.

A grave crew, working elsewhere in the cemetery, didn’t hear her screams because of a tractor running, but she said she fought off the attack and ran to them for help.

The jogger later identified Brooks as the suspect from a photo lineup.

With Brooks now being sought on the arrest warrant after failing to appear in court, the woman said she continues to run and won’t let what happened stop her from living her life. But, she said, she will remain smart and aware of her surroundings.